Four years after starting Factory45, a program that helps entrepreneurs start sustainable and ethically made clothing companies, Shannon Lohr will launch the online platform Market45 to help them sell their designs.
To date, about 200 companies have cycled through Factory45, which is run from Somerville, Mass. One of the better-known ones is Vetta, a brand that started in 2016 offering a five-piece capsule collection that can make up 30 different outfits. Lohr said she has been hearing from friends, colleagues and online followers that they want to shop Factory45 brands and were looking for a one-stop site for sustainable and ethical labels. As of Nov. 1, 20 brands of women’s, men’s and children’s apparel as well as accessories will be offered on the Market45 site when it goes live.
The platform will route visitors to each brand’s respective sites, with Lohr gleaning 5 percent of sales. Sotela, Dallas Daws, Vesta and Thom Kelly are some of the women’s apparel brands that will be on the site when it launches.
Factory45 initially had 10 companies that each paid $ 500 for six months of guidance. Lohr said that was immediately invested back into the program. She drew from her own start-up experience. Wanting to experience